Whether you’re planning for the summer holidays with kids in tow, or you’re trying to get away before the summer term price-hikes, we at AdvanceTrack thought it a good idea to help you put your ‘going away’ checklist together. Here goes:
- Passport (important)
- Sun-tan lotion
- Toothbrush (very important)
- Sunglasses
- Phone chargers
- Clients’ tax returns…?
Well, who else is going to do the work?
However, if you can automate data exchange between your firm and its clients, keep on top of workflow, utilise resources support (such as that offered by AdvanceTrack) where required, there’s no reason for your focus to be on anything else but deciding whether to have a fry-up or continental breakfast every morning while you’re away.
Bear in mind that it might not be you going away, but your team will be. Is your firm structured so they can be left to sunbathe without checking their work emails? Mental health, in the current climate, is a critical issue.
Cruel summer
The irony, as you will well appreciate, is that workflow and productivity often grind to a halt in the summer. So, rather than worrying about bringing work away with you (or not being able to take a break because you’re too busy), instead what happens is… very little. This is worse, because the holiday period is spoilt knowing that, from September onwards, it will be a huge slog to turn everything around for 31 January.
Not everything is automated – the reality is that clients very often still need to send data across to their accountant. So, something else to bear in mind is finding ways to incentivise them to provide info earlier than normal. Can you offer them a 10% discount? Or… add 10% for information filed after 1 September (we appreciate that this is a bit punchy).
Ultimately, some clever marketing (i.e. prodding) could pay dividends.
Wouldn’t it be great to check your phone and, rather than wince at your emails each day, you receive a report that tells you there are 50 tax returns ready to be signed off? Or even better, that your team has signed them off for you?
If you’d like to chat to us about supporting your practice’s workload, please contact us by clicking here.
